Meanings
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1
noun
a loud, harsh, high-pitched cry or noise
The sudden screech of brakes made everyone turn.
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2
verb
to make a loud, harsh, high-pitched cry or noise
The owl began to screech from somewhere beyond the barn.
Thesaurus
Etymology
An expressive alteration of earlier scritch, from Middle English skriken or shrichen and related Germanic words meaning to utter a piercing cry. The word is ultimately imitative of the sound it names.